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5 - [Order of Malta] – Aydie Blaise-Marie, Knight of (1692–1761)…
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Estimate €1,000 - €1,500
Description
[Order of Malta] – Aydie Blaise-Marie, Knight of (1692–1761). Officer, Knight of Malta, lover of Charlotte-Élisabeth Aïcha, known as Mlle Aïssé. This beautiful Circassian woman (1698–1733), who had been a slave, was ransomed and adopted by Charles de Ferriol, the French ambassador to Constantinople. Introduced into high society, her beauty and charm aroused much passion. A collection of 39 autograph letters and 3 signed autograph letters (to the Marquise de Créquy), totalling approximately 115 pages in-4°, most of them to the Bailiff de Froulay, Grand Cross of Malta and Ambassador of the Order of Malta to the courts of Prussia and Louis XV from 1741 to 1755; he died in Paris on 26 August 1766. Most of the letters are reproduced in the unpublished correspondence of the Chevalier Daydie… by Honoré Bonhomme, Paris, Firmin-Didot Frères, Fils et Cie, 1874, and their transcriptions are included with this collection. Most were written from Mayac and cover a period stretching from 1736 to 1756. This valuable correspondence, written in a rather lively style, deals with various subjects. Membership of the Order and the duties of the Bailiff of Froulay are a recurring theme. The deep friendship binding him to the Bailiff of Froulay is frequently mentioned throughout the correspondence. Health issues and the Chevalier’s entourage. The actions of Parliament, which is concerned about the abuse of lettres de cachet and excessive taxation. This is followed by reflections on power: I have always heard it said that the authority of kings is preserved above all by the respect their subjects have for it and by their conviction that no doubt can be cast upon the power they claim for themselves, and that once one begins to criticise the exercise of that power, one will never lack apparent reasons to disrupt any government. … The dispute between Dupleix and La Bourdonnais at the East India Company is mentioned. He is awaiting d’Alembert’s book. The bailiff’s mission to Berlin; the Order’s relations with Prussia. Reference to numerous figures at court. A legal case involving monks occupying his priory. He is displeased at the extremes to which the dispute between the King of Naples and the Church has been taken. His Order is legitimately and irrevocably in possession of sovereignty over Malta. This matter is raised in several letters. 13 April 1745. He approves the dispatch of the Prince of Conti to Germany. The presence and example of a prince of the blood (and all the more so of the king) always inspires great boldness and confidence in the troops when acting offensively… 11 November 1751: I, for my part, feared that the Queen of Hungary’s desire to reclaim Silesia and secure the succession of the Empire for her descendants might soon reignite the war… The ambition of the Queen of Spain has caused so much turmoil and misfortune. In 1752, there was talk of the Order sending him on a mission to Berlin. He pointed out that it would be more appropriate to send someone of higher rank, but he accepted the mission if it meant sparing his friend the bailiff (who would ultimately be entrusted with a mission to the King of Prussia). We enclose: Bailiff de Froulay. (A handwritten note in pencil, which may be in the hand of Honoré Bonhomme, who published the correspondence of Chevalier d’Aydie, attributes this letter to the Bailiff de Froulay). Autograph letter to a friend (this could be Chevalier d’Aydie, as he sends his regards to Mlle Aïssé), Malthe, … July 1929, 12 pp., in-4°. Concerning the sea voyages he undertakes to transport goods, and sums owed by the Malthe treasury. Numerous reflections on the meaning of his life, ageing, the break-up with his mistress, and everyday life: ‘It is a nuisance to have a guard of 50 men at home, 50 servants in the house and ten who are obliged to follow you when you go out…’ There is mention of the Duke of Sully, the Duchess of Béthune… Aydie, Célinie d’ (1721 – …), wife of the Viscount of Nanthiat, daughter of the Chevalier d’Aydie and Mlle Aïssé. Autograph letter signed ‘Célinie’, to her cousin [Mme de Créquy, circa 1761–62 according to a pencil note], Mayac, [undated], 2 p. ¼ in-8°. She regrets not having been able to send the Chevalier d’Aydie’s second letter sooner. Very rare. Details of the letters’ dates available on request. Copy of a letter from the Chevalier d’Aydie to Mlle Aïssé.
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Auction time 09/03/2026 at 8:00 PM
ID: 88012217
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